About Rusty

Rusty is a very handsome working cocker who is extremely intelligent and full of potential — but he needs a specific, committed home willing to continue the excellent work his fosterers have done.

Rusty is friendly, sociable and playful most of the time, but he also has clear behavioural needs that require ongoing work. He came to us from a loving family but had developed a particular issue with reactivity to the TV, likely due to poor early management, lack of boundaries and overstimulation.

His fosterers feel he was an “unemployed” spaniel who assigned himself the job of “monitoring” the TV.

Please read Rusty’s profile carefully and apply only if you are committed to providing the structure, training and boundaries he needs.

Rusty came to us due to a change in his owner’s circumstances and increasing difficulty managing his TV-related behaviour.

Thanks to his fosterers’ exceptional work, Rusty has made huge progress, but this is just the beginning. He will need ongoing, consistent training and a home that understands the importance of structure and boundaries.

Rusty has typical spaniel energy, but endless unstructured walks are not what he needs. His focus should be on:

• ✅ Training
• ✅ Boundaries
• ✅ Mental enrichment
• ✅ Structured activities

He loves sniffy walks and is very focused on his ball. His fosterers have used his ball with great success in training.

He is thriving with structured work and has shown himself to be extremely intelligent and capable.

Rusty originally lived with children, but has not lived with them in foster. He has always greeted children politely when out, so he could live with older children or teenagers who understand how to give him space around food and high-value treats.

Rusty can live with children 14+

Rusty has spent time with other dogs in foster and has learned a lot from them. He is sociable and confident with dogs outside the home, but he can guard food, toys and chews from other dogs.

He would be best as a solo dog, with opportunities to meet and socialise with sensible dogs to continue his progress.

His fosterer has been working on controlled sessions with friends and family, and he has improved significantly.

Rusty is housetrained and generally very good in the home, showing no destructive tendencies. His behaviour changes when he reacts to the TV, but his fosterers have seen significant improvement with careful management and training using an indoor lead and his ball.

More information can be discussed with potential adopters.

Rusty is happy being left for up to 4 hours in foster.

He settles well, but he does “read” what his fosterers are wearing and may bark or whine for around 5 minutes if he thinks they are going somewhere fun without him. Once they leave, he settles and shows no separation anxiety.

He settles nicely after a sniffy walk or training session and likes to sleep on an item of his fosterers’ clothing.

Rusty travels very well — he has travelled several hours with no issues.

Rusty came to us on medication originally prescribed for pain and to help with his TV reactivity. His fosterers have worked hard to reduce this with no negative effects, and he is now on a very small dose. This will need to be discussed with adopters.

Rusty is highly motivated by his ball and thrives in 1-to-1 training.

He has been learning:

• 🌟 Heel
• 🌟 Recall
• 🌟 Leave
• 🌟 Drop
• 🌟 Sit
• 🌟 Down
• 🌟 Stand
• 🌟 Retrieve for food

He learns quickly and clearly enjoys training. His fosterers say he will do almost anything for one particular ball.

He does pull on the lead when excited, but this is improving.

Rusty needs a quiet, structured home where he can enjoy fun, adventure and lots of training.

He is intelligent, eager to learn, and thrives in a calm, knowledgeable home that will continue to work through his quirky behaviours — particularly around the TV.

His adopters must:

• 🐾 Have previous dog experience
• 🐾 Understand resource guarding
• 🐾 Be confident managing his quirks
• 🐾 Be willing to set boundaries and continue structured training
• 🐾 Commit to Rusty’s long-term development

With the right home, Rusty will flourish. He is loving, affectionate, quirky and has been misunderstood — with oodles of love to give.

Rusty is in good health and has been vet-checked in our care.

He remains on a low dose of medication that will need further discussion with adopters.

Rusty has specific behaviours around the TV and some resource guarding around high-value treats.

With consistent boundaries and ongoing training, his fosterers are managing this extremely well.

He thrives on clear rules and responds beautifully to structure. Outside of his quirks, he is affectionate, loving and eager to please.

Rusty needs someone experienced with spaniels who can work through his quirks without becoming overwhelmed. He is exceptionally loving and has been a joy to foster.

He would excel in a home that enjoys gundog-style training or scentwork. He has made fantastic progress with sit/stop whistle, recall whistle and directional foundations.

Rusty needs someone patient, calm and committed — someone who doesn’t expect perfection immediately and is willing to continue the TV work.

He will thrive in a home with clear boundaries, structure and a genuine interest in dog behaviour and training.

Rusty is ready to bring fun, companionship and training into your life.

If you can offer him the love, structure and support he needs, submit an application and let Rusty melt your heart 💌🐾